U.S. patent application number 09/954120 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-21 for method for coating a tip region of a multipolar electrode lead.
This patent application is currently assigned to St. Jude Medical AB. Invention is credited to Lindegren, Ulf.
Application Number | 20020032963 09/954120 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 20281076 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020032963 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lindegren, Ulf |
March 21, 2002 |
Method for coating a tip region of a multipolar electrode lead
Abstract
In am method for coating a tip region of an multipolar electrode
head adapted to be mounted at a distal end of a lead used
preferably for providing heart stimulation by means of a heart
stimulation apparatus, an electrode head is provided having a tip
with a ceramic part in which a number of small spaced-apart
conductive electrode surfaces are disposed, a region of the
electrode head tip is directly coated with a tissue compatible
material, such as TiN, so that all conductive electrode surfaces
are coated in a single step coating operation without any masking
operation.
Inventors: |
Lindegren, Ulf; (Stockholm,
SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHIFF HARDIN & WAITE
6600 SEARS TOWER
233 S WACKER DR
CHICAGO
IL
60606-6473
US
|
Assignee: |
St. Jude Medical AB
|
Family ID: |
20281076 |
Appl. No.: |
09/954120 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/868 ;
29/885 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49194 20150115;
A61N 1/056 20130101; H01R 13/03 20130101; Y10T 29/49117 20150115;
Y10T 29/49224 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/868 ;
29/885 |
International
Class: |
H01R 043/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 18, 2000 |
SE |
0003341-5 |
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. A method for coating a tip region of a multipolar electrode head
adapted for mounting at a distal end of a medical stimulation lead,
comprising the steps of: providing an electrode head having a tip
with a non-conducting part having a plurality of spaced-apart
conductive electrode surfaces; and directly coating an unmasked
region of said tip with a tissue compatible material to
simultaneously coat all of said conductive electrode surfaces.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising coating said tip with
a tissue compatible material selected from the group consisting of
titanium nitride, carbon and platinum black.
3. A method for manufacturing a multipolar electrode head adapted
for mounting at a distal end of a medical stimulation lead,
comprising the steps of: providing a non-conducting part with a
plurality of recesses therein; inserting electrically conductive
wires respectively in said recesses; forming a plurality of
conductive electrode surfaces respectively at said conductive wires
on a surface of said non-conducting part, so that said conductive
electrode surfaces are spaced apart from each other on said surface
of said non-conducting part; and directly coating at least an
unmasked portion of said surface of said non-conducting part with a
tissue compatible material to simultaneously coat all of said
electrode surfaces.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising providing a ceramic
part as said non-conducting part.
5. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising selecting said coating
material from the group consisting of titanium nitride, carbon and
platinum black.
6. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of forming said
conductive electrode surfaces comprises inserting said wires into
the respective recesses from a bottom of said non-conducting part
so that respective portions of said wires project above said
surface of said non-conducting part, and flattening said projecting
portions of said respective wires with a laser beam.
7. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of forming said
conductive electrode surfaces comprises providing each of said
conductive wires with an enlarged end, and inserting said wires in
said respective recesses from above said surface of said
non-conducting part so that said enlarged ends are disposed on said
surface of said non-conducting part.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for coating a tip
region of a multipolar electrode head, of the type adapted to be
mounted at a distal end of an electrode lead (pacing lead) used
preferably for providing intracardial stimulation of heart tissue,
and/or for sensing heart signals, by means of a heart stimulation
apparatus or pulse generator.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] A heart stimulation apparatus having an electrode device
with a multipolar electrode head is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,306,292. This electrode head is a hemispherical electrode head
fitted with a number (e.g. four) of round, closely spaced
conductive surfaces that are uniformly distributed on the electrode
head. The conductive surfaces are separated y an electrically
insulating material, normally a ceramic material such as aluminum.
The conductive surfaces are normally coated with a porous layer,
such as titanium nitride (TiN) intended to enlarge the active
surface of each conductive surface. At present the belief is that
the conductive surfaces should be coated utilizing masking
operations to avoid the coating material being deposited on the
insulating material, to ensure that each conductive surface is in
electrical contact only with tissue/body liquid and the conductor
in the lead.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] An object of the present invention is to devise a simplified
method of manufacturing multipolar electrode heads with a porous
layer.
[0004] The above object is also achieved in accordance with the
principles of the present invention in a method for manufacturing a
multipolar electrode head by providing a non-conductive part, such
as a ceramic part, with a number of recesses or notches therein,
inserting respective conductive wires into the recesses or notches
to form a number of spaced-apart electrodes, separated by the
non-conductive material, and directly coating the surface of the
non-conductive material, with the electrodes formed therein, so as
to coat all of the electrodes in a single coating step, without the
use of a masking operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1A and 1B show, respectively in a side view partly in
cross-section, and in a top end view, an electrode head before it
has been p provided with wire pins intended to form conductive
electrode surfaces on an end surface of the electrode head.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows, in a view similar to FIG. 1A, a stage of
bringing together an electrode head and wire pins which are
intended to form the conductive electrode surfaces of the electrode
head.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows, in a side view similar to FIG. 1A, an
electrode head having been coated with a porous material, using the
method according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0008] In FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown a multipolar electrode
head 2 which is to be provided, in a tip region 4 thereof, with
four round, circumferentially spaced apart conductive electrode
surfaces 6 (shown in FIG. 3) constituting contacts which are to
have different polarity. As indicated in FIG. 3, the electrode head
2 is adapted to be mounted at a distal end of an electrode cable or
pacing lead 8 intended for providing electric heart stimulation by
means of a heart stimulation apparatus or pacemaker (not shown). In
FIG. 3 the pacing lead 8 is indicated by its external layer of
insulation 10.
[0009] The electrode head 2 has a tip portion with a ceramic part
12 having on a forward end surfaces thereof, four notches 14 formed
as round chamferings. The notches 14 provide seatings for the head
portions 16 of four platinum pins 18 (shown in FIG. 3) which are
placed in mutually parallel holes 20 (FIG. 1A) extending axially
through the ceramic part 12. The pin head portions 16 constitute
the spaced apart conductive electrode surfaces 6 on the forward end
surface of the ceramic part 12.
[0010] In order to place the platinum pins 18 in the holes 20, it
may be expedient first to place four straight platinum wire
sections 22 (FIG. 2) in a ring-shaped fixture 24 having a central
opening for the shaft portion 26 or the electrode head 2. The
fixture 24 with its four wire sections 22 is then moved upwardly
toward the ceramic part 12, so that the wire sections (which are
inserted in the holes 20) ar4e brought to project a suitable length
above the flat end surface 28 of the ceramic part. After this
mutual positioning of the wire sections 22 and ceramic part 12, the
free wire lengths above the end surface 28 are melted using a
suitable laser beam 30, as schematically indicated in FIG. 2. When
the free lengths of the platinum wire sections have been duly
melted to form the head portions 16, the electrode head is ready
for coating. At this stage, the tip region 4 thereof appears
basically as shown in FIG. 3.
[0011] Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those
skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody
within the patent warranted heron all changes and modifications as
reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution
to the art.
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